Mac 'n Cheese Pie with Bacon Lattice for the Ultimate Pi Day

Do you guys know what today is? It's Pi Day! But it's not just any old Pi Day, it's the Ultimate Pi Day! *voice echo**explosion sounds**special effects*

As you may know, Pi Day is March 14th every year because 3/14 = 3.14, the first three digits of pi. This year, however, the date is 3/14/15, and 3.1415 are the first 5 digits of pi. Not only that, but at 9:26:53 AM, we're at 3.141592653, a full 10 digits of pi. This is the only time this will occur in our lifetimes, you guys, and I think that's pretty darn cool.

Does that make me a huge nerd?

Fun fact: even though I'm actually pretty good at math, I was really bad at geometry. I took it freshman year of high school, at a time when I was flirting with the idea of going into architecture. After taking geometry, I knew architecture was a bad choice for me. If you can't calculate shapes and angles, you shouldn't be building things. Statistics is more my speed. I killed at statistics.

Now, I knew I had to do something epic to celebrate the Ultimate Pi Day. Since Pi Day is traditionally celebrated with pie for obvious reasons, that was the way to go. But me and pie, we're not the best of buds. I don't really make it that often, and I wouldn't really know how to go epic, you know? So I did some interwebz research and found a bacon topped macaroni and cheese pie on Buzzfeed. That sounded pretty epic, and also pretty easy.

Now, since I'm me and I don't follow recipes, I sort of went my own way. But in this case, "going my own way" actually meant using a couple of short cuts. You may recall that I have a block against pastry crusts. I can't make them. It never works. So, I bought some frozen puff pastry to use as a crust. I also, and I'm ashamed to admit it, bought the cheese sauce from the grocery store. That's not a thing I ever thought I would say, but I didn't really feel up to making my favorite mac 'n cheese sauce, even if it would have tasted better.

I also cooked the pasta in my rice cooker, but that's not a thing you have to do. I've just been cooking everything in my rice cooker lately because it's kind of awesome, and it was so much easier to use it than to boil the pasta on the stove. (Side note: I love my rice cooker. It has a steamer tray so I can cook meat and veggies with my rice. Full meal, no added effort, what's not to love?)

I added some spinach to the pasta because... I couldn't bring myself not to add a little green. It in no way balances out the complete unhealthiness of the pie, but at least you get something good with it. You could also add some broccoli or zucchini, or skip the green stuff all together. I won't tell.

Assembling the pie couldn't be easier. Just press the puff pastry into a pie plate. Mix together the pasta, sauce, some shredded cheese, onion, and cooked spinach and put it all in the pie plate. Take 8 strips of bacon and lay it on top, basket weave style. I folded the edges of the pastry over the ends of the bacon to prevent any grease from dripping into the oven, then I baked it up.

How does it taste? It's macaroni and cheese with bacon in puff pastry. You really can't go wrong here. It it the absolute ultimate in comfort food. The cheesy pasta, the buttery pastry, the salty bacon, so many carbs it puts you in a coma, but the good kind.

One thing is that it kind of falls apart when it's warm, so you'll want to let it cool completely before slicing. I thought about putting an egg in as a binder, but I totally forgot to buy eggs when I was at the store, so I don't know if that would make much of a difference. You can warm up the individual slices to serve, or you could just eat it cold. I actually really like it cold. I know, I'm weird.

As a bonus, I remembered that I had a pi silicone ice cube tray, but since I wasn't making a dessert and couldn't really use chocolate, I was stumped as to how I could use it. I thought maybe I could pour some melted butter in the molds, but a random pat of butter on top of the pie seemed weird. Then I thought about using some of the cheese sauce and freezing it, but I wasn't sure how well that would work. Then I thought, why not just melt some cheddar and try that? And it worked perfectly.

All you do is heat the cheese in the microwave for 20-30 seconds, until it's melted. Then you just pinch off a bit and press it into the mold. Chill the refrigerator until set (between 30-60 minutes), then pop it straight out. I greased the mold first, but since the melted cheddar was pretty greasy itself, I don't know how necessary that really is. I'll just have to try it again (buy ALL the ice cube trays!).

And that's all there is to making an epic pie for an epic Pi Day. Nerd food at its finest.

Mac 'n Cheese Pie
Yield: 1 9inch pie (6-8 servings)

Ingredients
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
8 oz. elbow macaroni
2 cups packed fresh spinach
1¼ cups cheese sauce
1 heaping cup shredded cheddar cheese
¼ cup diced red onion*
8 slices of bacon

Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Press the puff pastry into a 9 inch pie plate and trim off the excess. Prick the pastry a few times along the bottom with a fork.

Cook the pasta according to the package directions, for 1-2 minutes less than recommended. Drain and return to the pot. Stir in the cheese sauce and spinach. Heat on low while stirring, until the spinach is wilted. Remove from heat and stir in the shredded cheese and diced onion.

Spread the pasta evenly into the prepared pastry. Place the bacon on top (4 strips vertically, 4 strips horizontally) and weave in a basket weave pattern (1 over, 1 under). Tuck the ends of the bacon into the pie. Fold up the edges of the pastry over the bacon to prevent grease runoff.

Bake for 15-25 minutes, until the bacon is cooked through and the pastry is golden brown (tent the edges with foil if it starts to brown too quickly). Allow to cool before slicing.

*If using a cheese sauce that already has onion, feel free to skip

Recipe inspired by Buzzfeed

Things you may need (affiliate links):

Peanut Butter Caramel Pie with a Chocolate Cake Crust

Do you remember when I made Black and White Mini Cupcakes and I told you that it makes a buttload of cake? Do you remember when I oh-so-subtly pondered on what one could do with all those leftover, frosting-less mini cupcakes? Yeah, they've been sitting in my freezer ever since.

See, I never know what to do with leftover cake. Usually, I just eat it, but this was a little much just for me. I stirred some chunks into some mocha ice cream, and that was good, but there was enough cake for about 25 gallons of ice cream. So I consulted the interwebz, like you do, and most of the results were predictable. Trifle (meh). Cake pops (ick). Put in ice cream (been there, done that).

Then I found a recipe where the cake was crumbled up, toasted in the oven, and then used like cookie crumbs for a pie crust. Now we were talking.

The only thing that remained was a filling to put in the pie. Something that would pair well with the dark chocolate cake, but was still easy to make (my free time has been taken up by NYCC and prep for the brother's wedding and I still got asthmatic kitty to worry about) and maybe didn't dirty too many pans.

Enter the crazy deliciousness that is this Peanut Butter Caramel Pie from the Cooking Actress. Not only is it peanut butter and caramel, but you make it in the microwave. Chill, top with whipped cream, et voila, vous etes finis. Plus, it makes your house smell amazeballs. Like, if Willy Wonka took over the Reese's factory good.

The toasted cake crumb crust is chewier than a traditional cookie crumb crust, less crisp, but not soggy or soft by any means, and it tastes like cake which is awesome. Plus, you can use any kind of cake you like. Are you gluten free? Use a gluten free cake. Got an egg allergy? Go with an egg free cake. And then there's the peanut butter caramel. Words cannot describe how much you need peanut butter caramel in your life. It's caramel, but with a rich, peanut buttery undertone. Neither flavor overpowers the other, but instead they meld into this amazing new flavor and it is necessary for living

I may or may not be eating this pie right now. For breakfast. Don't judge.

Peanut Butter Caramel Pie
Yield: 1 9" pie (8 servings)

Ingredients
For the crust:
2 cups toasted chocolate cake crumbs (instructions below)
1/2 cup melted unsalted butter

For the caramel:
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Pinch salt

For the whipped cream:
1/4 cup chilled heavy cream
1 tbsp. powdered sugar
1/2 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions
To make the toasted cake crumbs: Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Crumble chocolate cake onto a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for about an hour, until the cake is dry. Once completely cooled, pulse in a food processor until finely ground. Store in an airtight bag or container.

Prepare the crust: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9 inch pie plate with butter or non-stick cooking spray. Combine the cake crumbs and melted butter, and press evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes, until the crust is set.

While the crust is cooling, prepare the caramel: In a large, microwave safe bowl, add the sugar, heavy cream, and peanut butter, and whisk until completely smooth. Microwave on high for 2 minutes. Remove and stir. Microwave on high for another 2 minutes, or until bubbly and thickened. Stir in the vanilla and salt and let cool until thickened, but still warm. Add to the prepared pie crust, cover, and chill in the refrigerator, minimum 4 hours or overnight.

Before serving, prepare the whipped cream: Add the ingredients to the bowl of a stand mixer (or use a hand mixer). Mix on low until well combined, then gradually increase the speed to high. Whip on high speed until stiff peaks form. Spread evenly on top of the pie and serve.

Tip: Let the pie sit at room temperature for a bit so it's easier to cut

Crust recipe adapted from PastryJane.com*. Pie recipe adapted from The Cooking Actress
*The website where I found the pie crust recipe has since expired, so I can't link to the original

Grasshopper Pie

So, I've had this pie pinned forever to my "No Bake" board on Pinterest. I actually think it might have been one of the first things I pinned. Except that it wasn't actually this pie. The pie I had pinned used Cool Whip and instant pudding mix, and as you know, I don't have Cool Whip or instant pudding mix. I have whipping cream and unflavored gelatin. But I liked the idea of the pie, so I pinned it anyway, thinking I could come up with a from-scratch version.

And this is totally from scratch. I even baked the chocolate cookies for the cookie crumb crust. That's totally not necessary; I was, per usual, just too lazy to go to the store. I used the wafer cookie recipe from my Chocolate Peppermint Sandwich Cookies (I skipped the milk, used brown sugar instead of white, added a little chocolate extract for fun, and rolled them out)(Don't you know by now, I never make a recipe the same way twice?), but obviously if you're not a crazy person like me, a box of chocolate wafer cookies is a whole lot easier.

The pie filling is creamy, minty goodness, and then you've got the chocolate crumb crust, sprinkled with dark chocolate chips, and you really can't go wrong.

Full disclosure though-- for the mint chips, I had a mixed bag of mint and chocolate chips and I sat there picking out all the green mint ones, because this is how crazy people operate. You can buy just mint chips if you're not a crazy person, or if you can't find them, just use white chocolate and add some mint or peppermint extract (I prefer peppermint, because I find mint extract makes things taste like toothpaste).

Have a happy St. Paddy's Day! This year I won't get pinched because I remembered to post something green. :D

Grasshopper Pie
Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients
2 cups finely ground chocolate cookie crumbs
4 tbsp. melted unsalted butter
1 tsp. unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup cold water
1 cup milk
1 cup plus 1 tbsp. sugar, divided
1 tbsp. cornstarch
Green food coloring
1 cup mint baking chips
1½ cups chilled whipping cream
½ tsp. chocolate extract*
Dark chocolate chips, for decorating

Directions
In a bowl, mix together the cookie crumbs and melted butter until well coated. Press evenly into a 9-inch pie plate, allowing it to come up the sides. Refrigerate until needed.

Add the cold water to a large mixing bowl, and sprinkle the gelatin on top. Allow to bloom.

In a small saucepan, mix the milk, 1 cup of sugar, cornstarch, and a few drops of green food coloring together. Heat on low, stirring constantly, until the sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to prevent a skin from forming, and cook until it starts to thicken. Remove from heat and stir in the mint chips until melted.

Add the hot milk mixture to the softened gelatin, and mix together. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours, or until you can mold it with a spoon.

Add the remaining tbsp. of sugar and the chocolate extract to the whipping cream, and whip on high until stiff peaks form. Carefully fold the whipped cream into the mint mixture. Mound the filling into the prepared pie crust, and chill another 2 hours, or until firm. Sprinkle the top with dark chocolate chips and serve chilled.

*If you can't find chocolate extract, use vanilla

Recipe by Kim

Stuff and Things 3/14/14

Happy Pi Day! Here are 9 pie recipes to help you celebrate (the collage is clickable)

Life as I Know it
You know, I watch a lot of HGTV, and most of it has to do with buying houses. Property Virgins, House Hunters, Love it or List it. The Property Brothers is my favorite, because a) they're cute and b) while I understand all the benefits of buying a fixer upper and renovating, I wouldn't have a clue how to go about doing it, so I like watching them do it.

Anyway, my point is that I figured my watching lots of HGTV would prepare me for buying a house, it did not.

Like, appraisals. I didn't even know they were a thing. I figured that's why you have a real estate agent, to tell you what the house is worth. But no, after you're already under contract, you have someone come in and appraise the house and tell you the price that you already agreed on after 48 hours of negotiations is more than you should be paying and if you go with the price you agreed upon, that's going to affect the mortgage that you already did all the paperwork for and locked your rate in for the next 90 days except not because that extra $3k is going to raise your rate which doesn't make any sense to me because nothing's actually changed. This was the price I was approved for, this is the price I'm paying, but now it's somehow all wrong.

Raise your hand if you think this should come before you actually agree on a price with the seller. *raises hand* Doesn't this all seem a bit counter-intuitive?

So the house underappraised by $3k. Which, in terms of real estate, is not a big number. And since it's not going to appraise for a different price for anyone else, it would seem a given that the sellers would give me the house less that amount. So now's the time that the attorneys get involved, and I get a call from mine saying the sellers can't afford it. They're actually bringing money to the table in order to close. But! she says to me, their attorney is going to try something she's never actually heard of anyone doing before, and it might not work, but it's worth a shot. He's going to go to the bank and see if they can forgive the $3k, making it a short sale that's not actually technically a short sale. If he can show that the sellers can't afford to stay, and afford to lower the price, and since it's not like the appraisal is going to change anytime soon, and the fact that they already have a buyer on the line, he thought it was worth a shot to try. But, my attorney says, it's never been done, and she doesn't even know if he'll get in the door.

So this was Friday. On Tuesday, my realtor calls and says, the sellers found a place but need to push back the closing date 2 weeks. They'll drop the price if I agree. After checking that it's well within my 90 day rate lock, I was more than happy to agree.

Good news, the Pier 1 by me is having a clearance sale because they're closing for renovations. I'm going to go and buy things because a) I have nothing one would need in a new house, and b) I really need some retail therapy right now

Movies- Here there be spoilers

Silver Linings Playbook

Okay, I had high hopes for this movie since I love Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper, but I didn't really like it.

Of course going into it, I didn't realize that it was about the "mentally ill." And like most similar movies, the whole time it was like, "ooh, look how deep this movie is because we're talking about the taboo and we're making the mentally ill people the ones you root for, but secretly we're still ostracizing them because we're showing them as wrong and strange and the only people who can love them are other mentally ill people." As someone who's been there, I tend find these movies insulting.

Because look at it this way, if you take away the mental illness-- if Bradley Cooper's character had been in jail or rehab, or similarly isolated from society, and if Jennifer Lawrence's character had just been having trouble adjusting after her husband passed away-- it would be a really bad movie about a highly toxic couple. Tiffany actually extorts Pat into being her dance partner, and then it turns out she was lying the entire time (but it's okay, even romantic, because he's mentally ill? Not understanding that logic). Pat shows zero interest in anything other than getting back the ex-wife that cheated on him with his coworker to their wedding song. When he's with Tiffany, he does nothing but talk about Nikki, his ex, or bring up the fact that Tiffany's husband is dead.

And not for nothing, even thought Pat is supposedly bipolar, they show him nothing but hypomanic. Not once does he have a depressive episode, and I don't even think that he showed a true manic episode, since they all seemed to be over in minutes. But I guess depressive episodes just aren't interesting enough (and even though he's supposedly in recovery, he's not taking his meds for the first half of the movie, so don't give me that). But I guess depressive episodes just aren't crazy enough. I mean, the urge to beat someone after you find him having sex with your wife to your wedding song, and he tells you you should "get out of here" when it's your own house, doesn't strike me as particularly crazy.

I thought the more interesting story, the one they spent the least amount of time on, was Pat's parents. Taking in their grown son after he'd been hospitalized, trying to deal with his episodes and their own guilt over not seeing it sooner. That would have been a good movie, but I guess they're just not young and pretty enough.

And what was up with the people in town? The therapist plays Pat's trigger in the waiting room of his office-- Pat, who'd just gotten out of state-mandated hospitalization for beating a guy half to death. Pat could have hurt the receptionist or the other patients in the waiting area (not on purpose, but that's why we keep triggers in controlled environments, dude) and he wasn't even there to see the result. And that cop, "Hey, aren't you Tommy's widow? Yeah, so sad, you wanna have sex?" And Tiffany's sister is all, "Hey, Pat's back, and he's crazy, and Tiffany's crazy, let's invite them both over for dinner so they can meet, but then I'll get upset when that's the only thing they can find to talk about." The f*** is wrong with these people?

Posts From this Week

Funky Monkey Oatmeal Muffins

Peanut Butter Banana Cookie Pie

With an Oreo Cookie Crust

Okay, I'm gonna call this a "cookie pie" because that's what it was supposed to be when I put it in the oven, but I'm not entirely sure that's what it ended up being.

I'm also not entirely sure what it ended up being, other than delicious.

See, I was in the mood for peanut butter cookie pie. Well, at least I thought I was, having never actually made cookie pie before. And then I spotted two old bananas that needed to be used, and I threw those in.

I didn't quite get the batter to cookie dough consistency, which might explain things. I was worried that it would make it too dense and dry. It was more like a very thick cake batter, but this pie isn't cake-like either. It's like some sort of mad scientist cross between cookie and cake, in pie form

This is the problem when you don't listen to recipes. You end up taking things out of the oven that you want to share with the world but have no idea what to call it.

I also threw in some chocolate and peanut butter chips, but they kind of disappeared. The pie ate them. Om nom nom. (I was up late last night trying to get my word count in. Can you tell? Nah)

But whatever this is, this cookie/cake/pie hybrid that feasts on chocolate chips, it's peanut buttery banana goodness, and you should go and make it. Like, right now. For breakfast. Because it's that good.

Peanut Butter Banana Cookie Pie

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

For the crust:

15 chocolate sandwich cookies (Oreos), crushed to a fine crumb

6 tbsp. melted butter

For the pie:

¾ cup unsalted butter, softened

¾ cup sugar

1 egg

2 ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)

⅔ cup creamy peanut butter

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1¼ cups flour

½ tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. salt

1 cup peanut butter and chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat the oven to 365°F. Mix together the cookie crumbs and melted butter, and press into a regular 9-inch pie plate, allowing it to come up the sides. Bake 8-10 minutes until firm, and allow to cool completely.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, or a large mixing bowl with electric beaters, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until fluffy. Add the egg and beat well. Add the mashed banana, peanut butter, and vanilla extract, and continue to beat until smooth. Slowly add in the dry ingredients and mix until well incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Spread the batter evenly into the prepared crust. Bake 30-40 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean, and the edges are a golden brown. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack before cutting.

Tip: If you don't mind a softer crust, you can skip the pre-baking.

Recipe by Kim

Individual Elvis Pies- Tailgating #SundaySupper

Peanut Butter, Banana, and Bacon Mini Pies

So, this week's #SundaySupper, hosted by Lane from Supper for a Steal, and it's about tailgating.

Which is a thing. That people do. Involving eating lots of food before watching sports. Right?

Obviously, it's not a thing that I do. Because sports and I, we're not the closest of acquaintances.

Source

But when I was thinking long and hard about it, I realized that the requirements for tailgate-party-type food were probably pretty similar to what I would serve at a tabletop game party. Finger foods, nothing that makes a mess, easy to eat, easy to clean, and won't get in the way of an epic D20 roll...

...Or, you know, a sort of sports type celebrating.

But when you think about it, there's not a whole lot of difference between gamers and sportsfans. I mean, fantasy football is totally just Dungeons & Dragons without the world building. Or different races. Or quest lines. Or treasure. So it's the boring version. And my brother even sent me the link to this Penny Arcade comic strip that explains football in gamer terms, and it makes so much sense now. See, if you can just figure out how to put it in the right terms, the gamers and sportsfans could totally get along.

(And now I've got that song from Oklahoma! stuck in my head, but instead of farmers and cowboys, I'm singing, "Ooooh, the gamer and the sportsfan should be frieeeeeeeeends....")

But one thing that definitely doesn't need translating: bacon.

Please note: I claim no affiliation to any football team. These are the things I stole from my family to take pictures. And my mommy knows Kellan Clemens.

I figured for that my usual cupcake fare wouldn't work too well for tailgating, (okay, so my brother told me that people don't eat cupcakes when tailgating. He also nixed the dragon and wizard decorating ideas. Spoilsport.) so I decided to manly it up. Bacon is robustly manly and quite a common ingredient in all the tailgate fare I've seen. I decided to turn the Elvis sandwich (peanut butter, banana, and bacon) into a hand pie.

And then all the custard kind of gooed out of the hand pies while baking. So I made them into tiny, adorable, individual pies instead. And I used a flower cookie cutter to do so because I thought it would be easier, and it made them more adorable in the process, and can we all just agree that manly is not my thing?

I'm not going to lie: the bacon is a little weird to encounter at first, but it all just kind of works together. The peanut butter and the banana. The banana and the maple syrup. The maple syrup and the bacon. All tied together with pie crust and a little sprinkle of cinnamon sugar on top.

They're the most adorable manly dessert you'll ever find.

Individual Elvis Pies

Yield: Approx. 32 mini pies

Ingredients

1 tbsp. unsalted butter

3 bananas, ripe but firm, sliced into coins

1 tbsp. brown sugar

¼ cup maple syrup, divided

3 eggs

½ cup sugar

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup creamy peanut butter

4 slices cooked bacon, well drained and crumbled, plus more for garnish

Pie crust for 2 pies

Cinnamon sugar

Directions

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the sliced bananas and brown sugar and cook until the sugar is dissolved and the bananas start to brown. Add 1 tbsp. of maple syurp, stirring until the bananas are well coated. Remove from heat, and mash with a fork (I prefer to leave some lumps).

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar, and remaining maple syrup together until light and fluffy. In a saucepan over low heat, heat the cream until it just begins to simmer, stirring occasionally to prevent a skin forming. Add the cream to the egg mixture one ladleful at a time, stirring constantly. When about half the cream has been added, stir in the peanut butter, then finish with the rest of the cream. Mix in the mashed bananas and crumbled bacon.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Spray a muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pie crust. Cut into 5-inch rounds using a cookie cutter (I used a flower cutter). Place the pie crust in the muffin tin, and fill with the peanut butter custard. Bake about 10 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the custard is set. Top with more crumbled bacon and a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar, and allow to cool completely on wire racks.

Recipe by Kim

 

Gate your tails with the rest of the #SundaySupper group:

  Warm Ups (Appetizers):

• Bacon and Onion Dip by The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
• Chicken Fajita Dip and Quesadillas by Chocolate Moosey
• Crab Rangoons by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Double Cheese Dill Scones by Vintage Kitchen Notes
• Fried Yucca With Pink Sauce by Basic N Delicious
• Grilled Corn Dip by Kudos Kitchen By Renee
• Grilled Gameday Nachos by Supper for a Steal
• Homemade Potato Chips w/ Blue Cheese Sauce by girlichef
• Liptauer Cheese Spread by Magnolia Days
• Mahogany Baked Chicken Wings by The Dinner-Mom
• Mexican Corn Dip by Growing Up Gabel
• Pizza Dip by Small Wallet, Big Appetite
• Posh Pigs In a Blanket by The Weekend Gourmet
• Pretzel Nuggets by I Run For Wine
• Roasted Garlic & Tomatillo Salsa Verde by Killer Bunnies, Inc
• Savory Baked Pinwheel’s by The Not So Cheesy Kitchen
• Sesame Glazed Cauliflower “Wings” by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Stuffed Banana Pepper Bites by Daily Dish Recipes
• Sweet Potato Hummus by Alida’s Kitchen
• Sweet Potato Skins by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• VJ Catch-erole by My Other City By The Bay

Game Time (Main Dishes and Sides):

• 1,2,3,4,5 Chinese Spareribs by The Urban Mrs
• Bacon Burger Sliders by Peanut Butter and Peppers
• Beef on Weck by Healthy. Delicious.
• Carrot Slaw by The Foodie Army Wife
• Cheerwine BBQ Pulled Pork by Nik Snacks
• Chicken, Bacon, Ranch Quesadillas by Cookin’ Mimi
• Chicken, Brie and Apple Turnovers by Shockingly Delicious
• Easy Grilled Chicken Caesar Sandwiches by Momma’s Meals
• French Onion Chicken Sandwiches by Foxes Love Lemons
• Frito Olé by Home Cooking Memories
• Gomoku Treasure Rice by NinjaBaking.com
• Grilled Fajita Kebabs by CuriousCuisiniere
• Hatch Chile Pimento Cheese Burgers by Juanita’s Cocina
• Italian Tuna and Shells Salad by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Pressed Brick Sandwich by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Pulled Lamb Barbecue Sandwiches by The Texan New Yorker
• Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Soup by Neighborfood
• Smoky Turkey Burgers by Webicurean
• Snorker and Spicy Slaw Sandwiches by Food Lust People Love
• Tandoori BBQ Chicken by Jane’s Adventures in Dinner
• Tortilla Hot Dogs by La Cocina de Leslie

Overtime (Drinks and Desserts):

• Coconut Funfetti Ice Cream Cake by What Smells So Good?
• Funfetti Sugar Cookies by Pies and Plots
• Individual Elvis Pies by Treats & Trinkets
• Portuguese Sangria by Family Foodie

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter each Sunday. We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm EST. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos. Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here → Sunday Supper Movement

No Bake Summer Recipe Round Up

You guys know: I like to bake. Do you know what else I apparently like to do? Not bake.

With a heat advisory in New Jersey, cooling centers popping up all over the place, and the job stabbing me repeatedly in the eye, I haven't been much in the mood to write a post. So I thought, in deference to the heat, I'd do a round up of some of my no bake recipes. And hoo boy, did I have plenty.

(P.S. The collages are also clickable. I am that good.)(I hope)
(P.P.S. Doctor Who Saturday will not be this weekend. I screwed up the timing, so it will be next week.)
(P.P.P.S. Steam sale. Whaaaaaaaaat. I bought Evoland this morning for less than 8 bucks. w00t)

Cinnamon Roll Ice Cream ● Toasted Marshmallow Ice Cream ● Frozen Peach Yogurt Cream ● Peach Tea Ice Cream ● Raspberry Red Wine Ice Cream

Cookie Dough Truffles ● Raspberry Nutella Marshmallows ● Homemade Gummies ● Strawberry Cake Batter Fudge ● Graham Cracker Marshmallows ● Pina Colada Marshmallows

S'mores Mud Pie ● Peanut Butter Chiffon Pie ● Berries & Cream Pie ● Chocolate Peppermint Icebox Cake ● Pumpkin Pie Icebox Cake ● Cannoli Cream Icebox Cake ● S'mores Icebox Cake ● Black Forest Icebox Cake ● Mush Pie (Cookies & Cream Mousse Pie)

Lemon Daiquiri Ice Pops ● Cherry Limeade and Lemon Lime Ice Pops ● Easy S'mores Pudding Pops ● Pineapple Banana Mango Pops ● Frozen Nutella-Covered Bananas

Peanut Butter Banana Bread Smoothie ● Blueberry Goat Cheese Pasta Salad ● Hot & Cold S'mores ● Fizzy Kiwi Lemonade ● S'mores Milkshake (A Guest Post from The Messy Baker) ● Fiesta Pasta Salad ● Cinnamon Roll Krispie Treats ● S'mores Cereal Treats

What are your favorite ways to beat the heat?

Berries & Cream Pie- A #SundaySupper Summer BBQ

This week's #SundaySupper is hosted by my girl Jennie, The Messy Baker, and is focusing on barbecue recipes.

And I made pie. Which is not actually made on the barbecue, but can be served at barbecues. Because somebody's got to bring the dessert, and let's face it, that somebody is usually me.

When I think of barbecues, I think of my family's annual barbecue. Every year we all go to my Uncle Hugo's house in Brooklyn and we sit in the backyard patio, or swim in the pool, and the kids race the horses (not real ones. Do I really have to explain this again? Because it makes less sense every time I talk about it), and we just gorge ourselves on all the favorites: rice balls and pasta and good Italian sausage and Aunt Sophie's potato pie. There are burgers and hot dogs and steak, too, but those always feel like an afterthought. Or maybe that's just me, since I've never been a huge meat eater and why bother with a hot dog if I can have another helping of potato pie instead, y'know what I mean?

So when I think of barbecues, I think of all that good, heavy food, and sitting out all day in that blistering Brooklyn heat, with the smoke from the grill and the citronella candles. So for dessert, you really just want something simple and refreshing. And what could be more simple or more refreshing than berries and cream? I just put it in a pie crust.

Now, I've seen plenty of strawberries and cream pies out there that use cream cheese, but I've never been a huge cream-cheese-in-desserts fan. Put it on a bagel, or make a veggie dip with it, that's fine. But make it sweet and I'm more likely to pass. So for a while now, I had been playing around with this idea of using sweetened condensed milk and cream- like the 2 ingredient ice cream that you see all the time on Pinterest-, and had originally intended it to be just strawberries with an Oreo crust and a chocolate drizzle. Then I found some blueberries and refrigerated pie crusts, and ended up with an unintentionally patriotic pie. Perfect for any 4th of July barbecues.

And let me tell you, it was a good thing that I ate this slice that I photographed, because otherwise I don't think I would have gotten any. This pie was gone in the blink of an eye. It's so simple- just fresh berries, a little bit of raspberry jam, and the sweetened cream filling- but still so irresistible. Simple, classic, and delicious.

Although I would recommend going with the original plan and using a cookie crumb crust because the pastry crust got soggy a little too quickly. A cookie crumb crust would hold up better, I think. Or, you could prevent it from getting soggy by nixing the raspberry jam. You can always add fresh raspberries instead. I didn't have fresh, I didn't want to got to the store, and I had raspberry jam, so my crust got soggy. C'est la vie.

Berries & Cream Pie

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients
1 9-inch pie crust, baked and cooled
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
1 cup diced strawberries
1 cup blueberries
1/3 cup cold water
1 packet (1 tbsp.) unflavored gelatin
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions
Heat the raspberry jam for a few seconds in the microwave to acheive a good, spreadable consistency and evenly spread it on the bottom of the pie crust. Add the strawberries and blueberries

In a small saucepan, add the water and gelatin and let soften for 10 minutes. After the gelatin has softened, heat on low until it has completely melted. Add the sweetened condensed milk to a large mixing bowl, and mix in the melted gelatin.

In a separate bowl with electric beaters, whip the cream on high speed until stiff peaks form. Carefully fold the whipped cream into the sweetened condensed milk. Spread the cream mixture evenly over the berries. Top with more berries, if desired, then chill minimum 2 hours before serving.

Recipe by Kim

See what everyone else is bringing to the #SundaySupper BBQ party:

Hot Off the Grill:

• Best Grilled Pork Chops by Hezzi-D's Books & Cooks
• Bleu Cheese Burgers by Juanita's Cocina
• Korean Grilled Flank Steak by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Swedish Blonde Burgers by Eat, Move, Shine
• Hawaiian Hot Dogs by La Cocina De Leslie
• BBQing the Whole Hog, Cuban Style by Webicurean
• Meat Stuffed Jalapenos by The Urban Mrs
• St. Louis Ribs by Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen
• Fish Kebabs with Mint Chutney by Soni's Food
• Jalapeno Bacon Burgers by Cookin' Mimi
• Cheddar Cheese Stuffed Bacon Burgers by In the Kitchen with KP
• Curried Pork Sliders with Peanut Sauce & Apple Slaw by Foxes Love Lemons
• Grilled Prosciutto Wrapped Chicken Breasts by Sustainable Dad
• Ditch Dogs by Daily Dish Recipes
• Bison Kabobs by Noshing With The Nolands

On the Side:

• Spicy Baked Beans by The Messy Baker
• Wisconsin Roasted Corn by Curious Cuisiniere
• German Potato Salad by The Foodie Army Wife
• Grilled Baby Potatoes With Peppers And Onions by Kudos Kitchen by Renee
• Sausage Potato Salad by girlichef
• Lightened Up Fully Loaded Baked Potato Salad by Peanut Butter and Peppers
• Homemade Mustards by A Stack of Dishes
• Spicy Grilled Corn Salad by Magnolia Days
• Layered California Pasta Salad by The Weekend Gourmet
• Grilled Potato Salad by In Fine Balance
• Spicy Bacon and Corn Salad by Hip Foodie Mom
• Three Corns with Japanese Accents by Ninja Baking
• Cucumber Bruschetta by Healthy. Delicious.
• Grilled Zucchini by Supper for a Steal
• Chicken Spinach & Pasta Salad by Family Foodie

Sweet Tooth:

• Red, White & Blue Parfait by Country Girl in the Village
• Root Beer Float Sandwich Cookies by Chocolate Moosey
• Gluten Free Brownies by Blueberries & Blessings
• Grilled Stone Fruit Parfait by Pescetarian Journal
• Blueberry Sorbet by Shockingly Delicious
• Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes by The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen
• Tres Leches Cake by Happy Baking Days
• Beach Cupcakes by The Little Ferraro Kitchen
• Grilled Banana Dessert Bar by Home Cooking Memories
• Berries & Cream Pie by Treats & Trinkets
• Raspberry Lemonade Frozen Yogurt Pops by Runner's Tales
• More S'mores by Growing Up Gabel
• Blackberry Peach Cobbler by Neighborfood
• Cornbread Cookies by Pies & Plots
• Funfetti Fluff Cheerio Treats by What Smells So Good?
• Pineapple Pudding by Granny's Down Home Sassy Southern Cooking

In the Cooler:

• Cherry Caipiroska by Vintage Kitchen Notes
• Mint Tea Slushes by Cindy's Recipes and Writing
• Prickly Pear Margaritas by Ruffles & Truffles